The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1887-05-12
VOL. XVI.
TIMELY TOPICS FOR FARMERS.
HOW TO DO PAYING WORK 1T TllIG
SEASON.
Suggestions OF Interest, FROM an AuihOri-
tativc Source.

The fight with grass and weeds has
now fairly begun. If the first working
is properly done, success is easy; if not,
the struggle is apt to be long and hard.
Because the little grass is hardly visible,
tho farmers fears are not fully oroused,
and he is tempted to go over lis crop
hastily and perhaps carelessly. 4 little
loose dirt from hoo or plow hides bnj
does not smother the young grass, and
the first rain uncovers it and stimulates
to rapid growth. Whero is the farmer
of any experience who has not felt the
power of "NIoy"" grass? It comcs up
round the cotton plant and hugs it close
ly; it sends its roots down quickly into
the manure intended for the cotton, and
grows with amazing rapidity. In hocing
it, the dirt is apt 20 be taken from the
cotton and the latter falls ovcr OF the
hand is delayed to hill it up again. The
time to StranglC the demon is rs it's birth
kill it by tho time or before it reaches
the surface. Tho lightest, slightest stir
ring of the soil will then destroy it.
Honco the excellent work Of the harrow
if started III time. 1t will Kill gho grass
but not the cotton. But it must be
started in timc--ius6 as the cotton is
coming up; it must strike the grass Just
as the latter is also coming up; later than
that, it will only help to cultivate it and
make it grow faster. But the work may
also be well done with a sweep properly
set and started i'll time. The wing must
run SO flat as to throw little Gilt; this
allows the siding to be very close, and
all the grass 20 be cut, except T. very mar.
row strip Of it along thO drill. Now if
the work Is dome early, when t;le grass is
Just coming up, enough Girr may be
thrown upon it 10 kill tnat on jhis strip
without covering or masIIin8 down the
young cotton. Bu5 everything depends
Oh doing the work at the proper time.
Another mistake often maze is TO fol
low the ploW Immediately witt tne hoe;
the result is the dirt thrown OF the grass
by the plow is removed by tho hoe and
the grass thereby uncovered. Follow
the plow with the hoe ct &n int rival OF
week, and II possible, let the l.ows fol-
low closely on the hoes 50 Us Tn smother
again any uncovered, uncut glass. Oh
serve: the plOW3 arc to DC 8ti1tGd tic
f0irlv bcnins 10 come I'm. T. t1,l ;s IlIIa
the hoes can afford +o Viii . v,..,iL ~
if the nIow;nc il GcInyri iii G %;r ,i-n,V 10y
j. ono ~, trrn ,SDn7g IA f,n =, oo,toit
he hold hack Goc1ITS~ tnn n,t>r,' ''-.IiJ MI
noo1 thinn;n,. +on I,I,5I,, A.5TGTt,,.I ~,
forn, eynryfRinn G~nnmds I1,,,, '',''IS' ISniH,r @
wnrI, NJ tnS ,,rrI7cr t;tnn. oa,,ImIiso UtIIo
imnortonE oF G1;no, T. IN |,.o,, 1,,',iS ,,'i,;y
ncr, II has oIwav3 ara1nrf 49, no | +Ln+
tho "blockinn" ont ri c0fion I.,s l,hMr
lost, II cam he bro,,oht 10 - f,gI etnr,I
about "a easily befnT2 II ie II"rI,IJ ao
after. EARLY and Ercournt ,,;n ,,in,rg o,c
needed to Ercall crisis oIG Ernn tHE
nIants hcalt,y and orn,yinn hrE Gn nnf
START tho hoes hU }hn ,,T2'rr, iiI, - 10
bring the cotton 70 q iint,l sf.nl IF trD
seed have nos been sowu too Ll;cl5. 81, #
the plants have been iudiciously thinnrI
ont by harrow. two nlowinn$ NAV En
given before the lirsC Hoejulg, rho Tlow
0npht to do everything but ihr ,}inninn
OF The cotton. We rCly too ,nuch oH
hoe work; it is too cxpclsive and eats
up too much Of the profits: u,ycr lose
sight OF the great problem oi reducing
the cost OF production; never forget thai
horsepower is chcuper thtol human
power, and machines than human hands.
Cotton calls for frequent working in
its carly stages; it is important to push
it. ,apidyv 6eyond thc n0jr,t p,Inrn 4
suffers from "Sorc shins" and lice. in
the olden time it was thought best to
side cotton with scooters, shovel or other
dcepTunning plowa. Ample experience
has shown thai this is neither necessary
nor desirable. Gho crop is best cult
waited from beginning to end with sweep
or shovel, set to run quite shallow. \
eoil deeply broken before planting, but
allowed to settle and become gomowbaf
compact, Crowded that tho surface is
kept stirrcd,) seems most conducive to
fruiting. Aside from the matter of root
cutting, there seems to be decided adj
vantage il shallow culture to a cotton
crop. 1t makes the growth stra1y and
uniform, and nothing contributes more
than such growth to fruitipg and the
holding on to fruit. Rapid growth, fol-
lowed by sudden check, is The Chief
cause of shedding. We cannot always
prevent the check, but We may GO some
thing towards putting the crcD in condi-
ton to receive it with least il, ry. Tbs